Eve’s Consequences
From the time of the sin, her bond with God was broken. Eve and her husband were ashamed and afraid and they hid from God. Genesis 3:10
Eve’s bond with her husband was also broken as they passed the blame for the transgression.
Adam blamed both Eve and God for his sin. ”The woman you put here with me…” Eve blamed the serpent for fooling her. Genesis 3: 12,13
Adam and Eve covered their bodies with fig leaves to cover their shame but sin requires a blood sacrifice. In His mercy, God performed the first blood sacrifice to cover their sin, killing animals for the skins He gave Adam and Eve to wear.
Even forgiven sin has consequences. As punishment, they were shut out of their perfect garden. God ensured that they would not live forever by denying them access to the Tree of Life.
Hardship then became a part of life. Hard labor in working the land, pain in childbirth, even murder, as sin began to permeate the world. Eve’s son, Able, was murdered by his brother Cain. Eve must have experienced extreme sorrow at the loss of her two sons as Cain was condemned to wander the earth.
However, even in her sorrow, Eve acknowledged God’s sovereignty, for she named her next son Seth, saying "God has granted me another child in place of Able, since Cain killed him."
Genesis 4: 25 (Seth means 'granted.')
I think that we are very much like Eve. The pattern of her sin is all too familiar. We face similar temptations and fall into sin in the same way. We listen while God’s word is twisted or contradicted or we disregard His word when it seems illogical and goes against our own desires. We give in to temptations such as lust for pretty things, for food, and for personal gain. When we are caught, we play the blame game, but sin can’t be blamed on anyone else, on environment or heredity. We choose to disregard God’s word.
Like Eve’s sin, our sin has far reaching tentacles but it doesn’t have to remain recorded in our history. Hidden or un-confessed sin breaks our close relationship with God, our spouse, family and friends. In His mercy, God gave us a way out. Jesus became the final blood sacrifice for sin. Receiving God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ wipes our slate clean. Our close bond of friendship is restored. We can return to the life that God plans for us.
- What would have happened if Adam and Eve, instead of hiding from God, had gone to Him, confessed their sin and asked His forgiveness?
- Do you know God’s word as recorded in the Bible?
- What is it that tempts you to disregard God’s specific instructions?
- What difference would it make in your life if instead of spending hours, days or years of life feeling the guilt and the weight of sin, you went straight to the Father, admitted your sin and received His forgiveness?
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